Wiki
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Length
2:51
"Heat Lightning" appears to be a reflection on the futility of trying to control or change certain aspects of one's life. The song begins with the speaker watching heat lightning outside the window in the middle of the night, unable to sleep. They feel weighed down by the past and present, represented by the "things all come and gone" dancing on the ceiling.
In the chorus, the speaker acknowledges that there is nothing they can do to alter the situation, so they surrender control to someone else. They hope that giving up control is acceptable to the person they are addressing. The repetition of "I surrender" emphasizes their resignation and acceptance of their circumstances.
In the second verse, the speaker continues to watch the heat lightning, this time from their doorstep. They observe the sky with its "sleeping eyelid" and the wind causing trees to sway like sea anemones. The approaching storm perhaps symbolizes the inevitable change that will come despite the speaker's inability to control it.
Overall, "Heat Lightning" seems to be about accepting one's limitations and acknowledging that some things in life cannot be changed or controlled. The speaker resigns themselves to surrender control and hope for the best.
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